Tool for refrigerator trays



2 1, V1936. i c. c. THOMAS 2,048,233

" T001. FOR REFRIGERATQR TRAYs A Filed Feb. 21, 1934 CM1/wss C. Tab/ms ATTORNEY.

Patented July 2i, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT QFFICE TOOL FOR REFRIGERATOR TRAYS Charles C. Thomas, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan This invention relates to devices for use with mechanical refrigerators and more particularly to devices for facilitating the removal .of ice trays from the ice freezing compartment.

5 In mechanical refrigerators andthe like, the ice trays, due to the accumulation of frost about the ice trays and between the ice trays and supporting surface of the evaporator, frequently become fast or substantially frozen within the ice tray compartment of the evaporator, withthe result that considerable diiiiculty is encountered in their removal.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and useful means for facilitating the removal of ice trays from the ice tray compartment of refrigerator evaporators without injury to the ice pans or evaporator.

Another object is to provide an ice tray lifting device which by means of a slight movement will quickly and easily break the accumulation of ice and frost about the ice tray and permit easy removal of the tray from the ice tray compartment. f

A further object is to provide a new and improved means for use with a refrigerator ice tray for raising the tray a suflicient amount to rupture the frost and ice which may have accumulated between the ice tray and evaporator, and thereby permit easy and unhindered removal of the ice tray from the ice freezing compartment.

A still further object is to provide a means for facilitatingV the removal of ice trays from the iceA freezing compartment of a refrigerator evaporator, which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture, and which may be associated with the ice tray at the time of inserting the tray in the evaporator, or which may be usedas a utility device after freezing has taken place.

With the above and other objects in view. the present invention consistsof certain features of,

construction and combinations of parts which and raised position, a portion of the tray being i tion here shown the flanges I3 are formed with broken away to show the engagement of the lifting device therewith;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2, but showing another form of the lifting device of the present invention; and 5 1 Figure 4 is a perspective view of reduced size of the lifting device shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, I have shown in Figures 10 1, 2, and 3 an evaporator I0 of a mechanical refrigerator having ice freezing and tray compartments II in which ice trays I2 are disposed, there being in the construction shown for illustration an ice tray in each compartment.

The ice tray may be of any suitable construction such as that shown in the drawing in which the side and end walls are provided with outwardly projecting anges I3. In the construcdown turned edges I4. Howeven such down turned edges are not essential to efficient operation of the device of the present invention.

The ice tray lifting device A shown in Figures 1 and 2 is preferably formed from suitable strap or bar material bent to a U-shape to provide a 1 gripping portion I5 and sides or legs IB which `may be disposed at opposite sides of the tray body, but comparatively close to thel side walls as indicated in Figure l, to underlie the iianges I3. The legs I6 are bent upwardly at a substantial angle, the bend in each forming fulcrum portion I1. The extremities of the legs I6 are preferably formed to an accurate shape to provide tray engaging portions I8 which are disposed to underlie the anges I3 of the ice tray, the side flanges I4 when formed on the ice tray, forming means for locating the tray engaging portions IB. p

Normally, the ice tray lifting device A assumes the position indicated in solid outline in Figure 2, with the fulcrum portions I1 and tray engag- Ing portions I8 engaging the supporting surface I9 of the evaporator I0 and the ice tray flanges I3. respectively, and with the portions of the legs IB which are inwardly of the fulcrum portions I1 disposed at an angle to the evaporator surface I9.

Should it be found when it is desired to remove the ice tray,'that the ice tray is stuck or frozen to the evaporator surface I9 or that the frost accumulation is so thick that the ice tray cannot be withdrawn from the freezing and ice tray compartment II, it is onlyl necessary Ato exert a slight downward pressure on the gripping portion 55 upwardly bent portions of the legs it swing forwardly about the fulcrum portions il as an axis, and y raise the ice pan i2 as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 2, thus rupturing the ice or frost accumulation and permitting the ice tray to be easily withdrawn from the ice tray compartment ii.

".ihe lifting device is preferably so'formed that the horizontal gripping portion i5 is upwardly odset so that such portion is disposed relatively close to the forward flange id of the icejtray, whereby, when the hand is inverted andthe ange is engaged with the fingers, the gripping portion vi5 may be engaged by the thumb and downward pressure exerted thereon. By forming the lifting device in this manner, the tray may be raised to break the ice or frost accumulation and withdrawn in practically a single operation.

If desired,`the gripping portion i5 may be provided witha non-metallic' sleeve 2t.

In the modified form illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the operation of lifting the ice tray is reversed, that is, the device is moved upwardly in-l stead of downwardly. In this device, the legs 2i which extend along the sides of the ice tray i2 from the horizontal gripping portion 22 disposed adjacent to the front of the tray. normally seat on the supporting surface I9 of the evaporator i0. The legs 2i are bent upwardly in any suitable manner providing humps ,or inverted V-shaped portions a short distance from their extremities or evaporator shelf engaging portions 23, to provide tray engaging portions 2d which underlie the anges i3 of the icetray I2. When a relatively weak lifting force is applied upon the gripping portion 22, the apex 24 of each hump or inverted lV portion engages the adjacent flange i3 of the with the lower side of the gripping portion 22 while the ngers are engaged with the forward iiange Il, as in withdrawing the ice tray, so that upon a slight upward movement of the palm, the lifting device will be tilted upwardly about the evaporator engaging portions 23 of the device.

The lifting devices described are so constructed that they may be disposed about the ice tray at the time the tray is inserted inthe freezing compartment, or they may be utilized as a utility device and inserted after the iiuid in the tray has become frozen.

It is to be noted that in each of the lifting devices described, I have provided at each side, a fulcrum or evaporator engaging portion and a i5, thus producing a fulcrum action whereby the tray ange engaging portion suitably odset longitudinally oi the legs, and a lever portion, which upon swinging movement about the fulcrum portions, causes the tray engaging portions to exert upward pressure against the tray anges to there- 5 by break the accumulation of frost or ive and facilitate and permit easy withdrawal of the ice tray from the evaporator.

The lifting device is simple in construction and may be economically produced from a single piece 10 or separate pieces of metal.

Also, each of the devices described are so shaped that the lifting and withdrawal of the ice tray may be performed in practically a single operation. 15

.While I have shown and described only two of the forms which the present invention may assume, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as' defined by 20 the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for separating an ice tray from the shelf of a freezing compartment comprising a substantially U-shaped member providing a pair 25 vweak force applied to said gripping portion.

2. A device for separating anice tray from the shelf of a freezing compartment comprising a 35 substantially U-shaped member providing a pair of parallel legs spaced apart to extend adjacent opposite sides of an ice tray, a gripping portion extending between said legs adjacent one end of the tray, and upturned end portions on each of said legs for engaging a portion of the tray whereby the junction of each leg and its upturned end portion forms a fulcrum point engageable on the shelf to provide leverage and the tray may be separatedfrom the shelf by a relatively weak force applied downwardly on the gripping portion.

3.- A device for separating an ice tray from the shelf of a freezing compartment comprising a substantially Uil-shaped member providing a pair of parallel legs spaced apart to extend adjacent opposite side's of an ice rtray, a gripping portion extending between said legs adjacent one end of the tray and humps or inverted V portions provided in the legs a short distance from the extremities thereof for engagingv the laterally projecting flanges of the tray to separate vit from the shelf when 'a relatively weak lifting force is exerted upon the gripping portion to rotate the legs about their shelf engaging extremities as fulcrum points.

. CHARLES C. THOMAS. 

